Alternative Brews

May 4, 2008
I’ve had both the best bartenders I’ve ever met and the very worst here...they are either very friendly, quick, and knowledgable or bitchy and ignore you all night. The good bartenders are good enough that by the middle to end of the night after they get a feel for what I’ve been ordering I can just let them select a beer I haven’t tried yet. Not much of a tap selection but there is usually something from Custom Brewcrafters, Flying Bison or Ellicotville to order. There is a fun atmosphere, wednesday nights are a good night where it isn’t too busy, too smokey, and there is live music. Mixed to older crowd that gets along pretty well - no townies drinking mass quantities of cheap stuff

September 7, 2007
what is it with these sissys and their distaste for smokers....its a cigar bar with great beer. true, the place could use a little remolding and functioning ventilation but, i guess thats the price we have to pay for such a great atmosphere.

March 22, 2007
Mostly bottles which can be purchased down the street at Premier Groumet. Too smoky for my tastes (and to taste what I’m drinking), but the live music is a nice touch.

February 2, 2007
Great beers and you can actually act like an adult and smoke!!!! Live bands on saturday make it a tight fit, but during the week there isn’ta better bar to be found for sitting and chatting with a good brew a good cigar and a good friend. They cold stand to mix it up a little more often, but still a decent selection. The house brew Hazel Nut brown made by Custom brew crafters is great.

January 16, 2007
Ask me how smokey this place is, and you can buy a cigar. I saw about 10 taps, and a cask, though the majority was the usual macro suspects. A pretty good bottle collection, though you can get it all down the road at Premiere. Prices were decent, and this is close to a lot of shopping and not too far from Pizza Plant, so it’s a worthwhile Buffalo stop. Middle aged people, a bit on the dark and dingy side bar, but not motorbike scare-away. Had a couple of Custom Brewcraft pints, and it was fresh and inexpensive.

March 24, 2006
Very smokey bar, but being from Pgh, I didn’t mind. Very crowded when we arrived. The bartender was funny, and friendly. I liked the way the place was decorated. Nice selection of things that I can’t get back home, and they even had Jah-va Stout on tap, which made me excited. We had a few friendly conversations wtih other patrons in the bar, and overall it not bad. Being close to the hotel we are at, it was a good choice and I will seek out again whenever I am here.

February 20, 2005
I would come here a lot more often if they didn’t allow smoking. Nice bottle selection, a few good taps. They do free monthly tastings here. Live blues on weekends.

November 4, 2004
This place is a cigar bar, which really makes it difficult to have a decent beer experience. When I lived in Buffalo, I went a few times, but got smoked out each time. That have a decent bottle list and they also have some live blues some nights as well. The prices here are quite reasonable.

January 15, 2004
Not a huge place and it can get pretty busy, especially on the weekends. Live blues bands fridays and saturdays. It can get pretty smokey in there. Taps aren't usually too exciting but are fairly solid. Bottle selection isn't bad. I have seen world wide stout there before and other comprable beers. A good place to relax and enjoy some beers and blues, but not the best place for rating.

January 12, 2004
Has the feel of a bowling alley bar, smoky, loud, you get the idea. With the smoking ban in NY not applying here, you get a ton of people in here just so they can smoke and drink swill. Servers/bartenders have a pretty good idea about what they're serving and are pretty friendly. Selection is pretty good, most bottles coming from Northeast micros and taps vary from Fosters to Arrogant Bastard. Some advice would be to go early on weekdays, 2 for 1 drafts from 4-7 and it's not smoky yet.